Where are we going to find managers and politicians who understand the value of saying what they mean and who are prepared to find the thread of meaningful words that will lead us out of the maze of lax-language that currently has us all hedged in?

The recession we find ourselves in now was inevitable and it has been brewing for the last 15 years. Why? Because investing has been replaced by short-term trading and the interests of shareholders and staff have been placed above those of other stakeholders.

Competencies, skills, talent, intellect, technical expertise and drive define many of today's leaders. But that's not enough. What about empathy? What about emotional connection?

The whole purpose of lateral thinking is to allow us to cut across patterns and to find new ideas. As with all creativity, the ideas must be valuable and logical in hindsight.

Many commentators would have you believe that we are witnessing a new beginning, that change is happening all around us. Well, I'm sorry to disillusion you, but I can't see that any substantial has changed as a result of the turmoil of the past 12 months.

When a boy or girl scout demonstrates a new skill, they get a nice merit badge to prove to the world they know what they're doing. So wouldn't it be wonderful if, when we mastered and demonstrated a new management skill, we got a badge too?

Despite the financial meltdown, many companies continue to claim that huge salaries and bonuses are essential to attracting and retaining talent. But the evidence suggests otherwise. Not only are people are not driven primarily by money, but the power of money can be deeply counter-productive.

The current decade's big idea in business strategy is 'open innovation'. Enlightened companies are actively seeking innovatory ideas wherever they can be found.

Innovation promises benefits without all of the costs. The aim is to have your cake and eat it – to deliver two benefits that contradict each other. But to come up with things that do this, you need to learn to think better.

This month, the wrong name game, the power of the strange, starting with this weakest link and something new to try the next time somebody annoys you.